Egypt had warned Israel of an imminent Hamas attack before October 7

Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel telephoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days before Hamas' October 7, 2023 offensive to convey a further warning and signals of an imminent attack from Gaza, after two previous Egyptian warnings were ignored. The news, which comes from the Wall Street Journal, is widely reported in the Israeli press.

The latest warning came in early October, when Kamel called Netanyahu's office directly. One source said Egypt continued to issue warnings until nearly 48 hours before the attack.

The report, writes the Times of Israel, states that the Egyptians had warned Israel as early as June 2023 of the situation in Gaza, advising the Jewish state to resume negotiations with the Palestinian group for an agreement on the exchange of hostages.

It is the latest in a series of Israeli and international reports regarding signals missed by the prime minister and security authorities before the large-scale invasion.

In September, the Israeli newspaper recalls, Kamel traveled to Israel warning that "the situation in Gaza was critical and risked exploding in everyone's faces," the article reports, citing anonymous officials from an unspecified Arab government.

However, Israeli officials downplayed the warnings, assuring Kamel that the situation was under control; this prompted the October phone call to Netanyahu's office, the report adds, noting that "the Egyptians continued to warn Israel up to 48 hours before the attack."

Netanyahu had previously denied ever speaking to Kamel in the months before the attack.

The report also reiterates recent reports that Emirati leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called Netanyahu in September 2023 to warn him of signs of an imminent Hamas attack.

None of the warnings contained specific details about the timing or scope of the planned assault, the report noted, in line with previous reporting on the matter.